YOGI OF THE MONTH

June 2026 - Margaret Drawbaugh

What first brought you to yoga and how long have you been practicing?

I was inspired by Anodea Judith’s book, Chakra Yoga, published in 2015. After buying it, I practiced some of her poses at home when I lived in Northern Virginia. A few years later, I joined a yoga studio near my home in Falls Church and took weekly classes. When we moved to the Northern Neck, a Reedville friend told me about Susan’s studio and I’m very grateful she did. I’ve learned so much from Susan and enjoy attending her Functional Yoga class each Wednesday.

What is/are your intention(s) for your yoga practice?

To enhance my personal health and fitness by incorporating yoga into my exercise routine, which also includes swimming, walking and a little light weight lifting.

What is your favorite pose and why?

Adho Mukha Svanasana, better known as Downward-Facing Dog pose. It just feels good.

What is your favorite class at InsideOut Yoga?

The Functional Yoga class I regularly attend is my favorite. I also enjoyed the Focus on Form series that Susan recently taught.

How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?

I feel better from head to toe because of practicing regularly. I’m stronger and my posture has improved. Most of all, I feel so much more confident when holding my grandchildren.

What advice would you have for a beginning yoga student?

Try the poses to the best of your ability. When a pose feels like too much, back off. You get to choose. Each person becomes more balanced, coordinated and flexible at their own pace in a yoga class. 

What is your occupation?

I’m a recently retired elementary school teacher and para-professional. I taught first grade in Indianapolis before our children were born. When my kids were very young in New York, London and Chicago, I was a stay-at-home mom. When they went to school in Falls Church, I returned to the classroom as a teacher’s aide. When my sons went to high school, I taught kindergarten.

What activities do you enjoy?

I enjoy gardening, knitting sweaters for my grandkids, reading novels, swimming laps at the YMCA and racing our sailboat with my husband on the bay.

What is your favorite thing about living in the Northern Neck or Middle Peninsula?

Proximity to the bay and its beauty means a lot to me. Being close to the water brings new discoveries every season, whether it’s watching an otter scurry across the ice last winter or watching our local owl swooping into our yard each summer.

Is there anything you want to add?

A favorite memory of mine is a past yoga class one summer years ago on my birthday when my whole family attended class with me. Even my daughter-in-law came along. It was the first yoga all of them had ever done and it was such fun. None of them have done yoga since, but they all remain very physically active, cycling, running, sailing, windsurfing and even doing triathlons.